5 Easy Home Repairs For Those On The Go

I should probably be posting photos of the progress on the basement remodel, but Diane Kuehl offer to write a guest post for me so I’m continuing to procrastinate while you enjoy her tips for easy home repairs for busy people.

5 Easy Home Repairs For Those On The Go

As a younger woman, I was pretty busy. Maybe you’ve heard the story – working by day (at a crappy job), going to school online and raising my son by night. This left little time to do things like, oh let’s say, clean. It wasn’t until I met my husband that things finally settled down. Even then, it was still a challenge.

My original situation left me in quite a predicament. I couldn’t possibly let my house go to (excuse the French) hell. Safety, health and standard of living are all issues for everyone, so to let it go wasn’t an option.

This forced me to find time to make crucial home repairs on the fly, so I had to make sure they were easy and time-conscious. Lucky for me, I found them, and now that you’re here, so did you.

STAINED BATHTUB

Usually, the stains in the bathtub are just dirt and grime that have built up over time. But when you’ve got a child that bathes in that tub, it’s essential to make sure it is as clean as possible.

The remedy: Mix equal parts cream of tartar and baking soda (baking soda really is wonderful) with enough lemon juice to make a paste. Rub this paste onto the stain and let it sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, wash the area thoroughly with clean water.

Actual amount of time spent on this task: 15 minutes, maximum

SCUFFED LINOLEUM

You may be thinking, eh, scuffed linoleum… what’s so bad about that? As a child, my parents had linoleum floors and I can’t tell you how many times my brothers and I tripped on the linoleum. The cause – scuffs. As time goes on and the scuffs become larger, they can begin to tug at the other non-scuffed areas around it and warp the linoleum, which creates an unsafe area for everyone in the house.

The remedy: Rub the area with white toothpaste (white toothpaste because colored toothpastes will cause discoloration) on a dry cloth. Once the scuff is gone, rinse the area with a little bit of clean water.

Actual amount of time spent on this task: 10 minutes

CLOGGED DRAINS

Clogged drains are certainly a nuisance. This one is not so much about the health and safety issues that clogged drains can bring about, but the traditional method of unclogging our drains. Drano is not a good choice if you want to keep your family safe. There’s always a better way.

The remedy: Pour baking soda down the drain. Follow that with white vinegar, which is then followed by boiling water. Shazaam – no more clog. And you did it without harmful chemicals.

Actual amount of time spent on this task: 5 minutes

SQUEAKS IN THE FLOORBOARDS

The squeak isn’t the real problem here, though it certainly the most apparent. By fixing the problem of squeaky floorboards, you are doing double duty for you floors in that you can prevent warping over time.

The remedy: Pour baby powder or talcum powder on the area of the floor with the squeak. Once the powder has gotten into the floorboards, sweep away the excess. How does this help your floors, you ask? The baby powder will actually lubricate the boards that are rubbing against each other and make them function more fluidly. This will help to slow warping in your wooden floors.

Actual amount of time spent on this task: 5 minutes

REMOVING MOLD ON THE WALL

This can be the most serious problem in your home. Mold, when inhaled, can be a serious health hazard, especially in high concentrations. Mold in the bathroom can be caused if your bath fans aren’t working correctly, as mold thrives in humid places. So anywhere in your house that has a higher humidity rating, you may want to check for mold. If you have high concentrations of mold, please seek the counsel of an expert. This tip is for small mold areas.

The remedy: Use one (1) cup of bleach mixed with one (1) gallon of warm water. Rub the area thoroughly with a clean rag, then rinse with clean water.

Actual amount of time spent on this task: 15 minutes

So there you have it. Keep your home a little cleaner, get those nagging fixes out of the way, and live a little more comfortably – all without spending hours on repairs.

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Diane Kuehl is a DIY/home improvement professional. She lives in Springfield, Illinois with her husband and two kids.

While I have heard many uses for baking soda, I haven’t heard of these tips. Thanks for the information. I’m going to print them out to post on my bulletin board. I wonder what harm it would do to utilize the recipe for the clogged drain without the clog as a preventative. I wouldn’t think it would hurt anything, but I’m not sure. I do like the fact that the repair is economically feasible, and you don’t have any harmful chemicals to contend with. Thanks again.

I love baking soda! I have always used it for clogs and cleaning. My kitchen sink clog though was the worst! Baking soda, boiling water, chemicals nothing worked! So frustrating. I finally broke through a wire hanger. I still don’t know what plugged in the first place.

Getting your drains cleaned by a professional is the best way to keep your drains and sewer system fully functional. Sometimes the issues that homeowners experience are far more complicated than they realize. Many customers will easily find themselves spending hundreds of dollars paying for chemicals and equipment to repair a clogged plumbing issue that they could never fix, only to call us later.